Higgins



March 31, 1964 H. HIGGINS 3,127,074

COLLAPSIBLE TROUSER CREASER Filed June 6, 1960 l i u.

A asur United States Patent 6) M 3,127,074 COLLAPSIBLE TROUSER CREASERHarry Higgins, Los Angeles, Calif, assignor to George T. Stacey,Riverside, Calif. Filed June 6, 1960, Ser. No. 34,182 2 Clm'ms. (Cl,223-63) This invention relates to the creasing of trousers and slacksandis particularly concerned with a collapsible device for insertioninto the legs of trousers and slacks for the shaping of themwithcreases.

Trousers and slacks are shaped, usually by pressing, in order to flattenthe legs thereof and to establish creases, one at the front and one atthe back of each leg. Ordinary use, or wearing, of trousers and. slacksdestroys the intended shape, making them baggy at the knee at whichplace the crease first disappears. The usual shaping methods involvepressing which is done on a domestic basis as well as professionally andwhich involves considerable time and effort. On the other hand, thereare certain fabrics which are damaged pressing, namely hotpressing, inwhich case shaping may be done by drying the garment in the desiredform. Thus, there are advantages in avoiding pressing, including savingsin time and in avoiding injury to the fabrics.

A general object of this invention is to provide a device for shapingand creasing trousers and slacks without pressing. With the presentinvention a device is inserted into each leg of the trousers or slacksand pressure exerted thereby that holds the fabric in the desiredcondition to which it can be set.

An object of this invention is to provide a device insertable into thelegs. of trousers and slacks to straighten them by removing anybagginess at the knee, to restore the crease therein and so as torecreate the tailored form thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device for thepurposes above expressed and which yieldingly urges the trousers andslacks into a tailored condition, or pressed condition, with a crease,and when said trousers and slacks are either dry or wet, or merely damp,and all without affecting the surface nap of the material.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of a typicalpreferred form and application of my invention, throughout whichdescription reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the device that I provide for insertion into aleg of a pair of trousers or slacks and shovwng said device in acollapsed condition.

FIG. 2 is a view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 and shows thetransition or movement of the sections thereof in pivoting the sectionsto the condition shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a view of the device showing it in the operative or utilitycondition.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the initial insertion of the device into theleg of a pair of trousers or slacks.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and shows the device after it iscompletely inserted into the leg of the trousers or slacks.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line6-6 on FIG. 3.

The trouser or slack creaser of the present invention is a device thatis insertable into the legs of the trousers and which is adapted toexpand therein to press or yieldingly urge parts thereof in an outwarddirection to give full expansion to said garment so as to fully expandit to a uniform shape and size. As is clearly shown throughout thedrawings, there is provided a unit of construction for insertion intoeach trouser leg to be treated. That is, there 3,127,074 Patented Mar.31., 1964 is used a pair of such devices in the treatment of a pair oftrousers or slack, one for each leg thereof.

In FIG. 1 of the drawings, I have shown the unit of construction that Iprovide and which operates as a trouser creaser when inserted into atrouser leg. The unit is shown in a collapsed state or condition whereinthe two sections X and Y thereof coincide. The unit is characterized bythe two like sections, preferably identical in shape and configuration,and which are pivotally secured together to swing from the collapsedcondition of FIG. 1 to a utility position as shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 2shows an intermediate position illustrating the transition from thecollapsed condition to the said utility condition.

The identical sections X and Y are coupled by pivot means Z and there isa slide S that restrains the sections X and Y so that they coact againsteach other to press members thereof in opposite directions, when in theutility condition. As is clearly illustrated, the slide S allows for thetransition between the two extreme conditions without the use ofsecurement or special fastening means.

The sections X and Y being alike, or identical, a description of onesufiices for both, as follows: As shown, the sections are each made of asingle length of resilient material, preferably a simple spring wire Wthat is round in cross section. The said wire W is formed in a generallyrectangular configuration, and in a fiat plane, having longitudinallyextending side members 10 and 11 and transverse end members 12 and 13.The sections are characterized by the uninterrupted continuity of thewire W, said Wire being coupled at its opposite ends by the structure ofthe pivot means Z that occurs intermediate the end members 12 and 13 andat one of the side members 10 or 11. As illustrated, the pivot means Zis at the side member 10, midway between the end members 12 and 13.

In accordance with the invention, the side members 10 and 11 and endmembers 12 and 13 are parallel pairs of elements, the said side membersbeing bowed outwardly away from each other. At least, the side members11, which I will term the outer side members, are bowed outwardly. Theother or inside members 10 can also be bowed, or each composed of twoangularly related parts joined at the pivot means Z.

The pivot means Z acts to join the ends of the wire W and to couple thetwo sections X and Y for rotation relative to each other. In the caseillustrated, the means Z involves a pair of plates '15, one at eachsection X and Y, said plates being rota-tably connected by a pivot pin20. The plates 15 are alike, or identical, and each is a flat elementwith portions thereof formed to fasten to the opposite ends of the wireW. In the particular case illustrated, the plate has upturned marginalportions, at one side of the plate, the ends of the wire being engagedthereby. In practice, said upturned portions of the plate are bent toform tubes, a tube at each edge of the plate and parallel with eachother, and so as to receive the opposite ends of the wire W that arebent at right angles. Further, there is an upturned tubular portion ofthe plate extending along one edge thereof and between the firstmentioned parallel portions, in order to receive and lock with a secondright angle bend in each of the opposite end portions of the wire W.

The pivot pin 20' of the means Z is a simple part, prefera-bly a rivetthat engages through aligned openings in the two plates 15 of the twosections X and Y. The pin 20 is headed over at its opposite tenminalends and so as to allow for free tuining or movement of the two sectionsX and Y relative to each other.

In carrying out the invention, the sections X and Y are moved or rotatedfrom the collapsed conditions shown in FIG. 1 by provision of a slide Sthat I provide and which cooperatively couples the two sections X and Yat one end thereof. As shown, the slide 6 is a simple ring thatsurrounds or encompasses the adjacent wires W of the two sections X andY. In order to move the sections X and Y to the utility positions shownin FIG. 3, the slide S is moved to a central position at the sidemembers 11, as shown in FIG. 2 so that the two sections X and Y can thenbe rotated or revolved relative to each other as shown in FIG. 2 Furthermovement or rotation of the sections X and Y results in the conditionshown in FIG. 3 where the slide S operates along the ends 12 or 13, asthe case may be, to act as a stop thereby limiting movement of thesections. In the conditions shown in FIG. 3 the slide S limits movementor rotation of the sections X and Y so that the outer side members ofthe opposite sections are divergent, as clearly illustrated. Thus, itwill be seen that there are divergent side members 10 each of which isbowed outwardly.

In order to insert the trouser creaser into a trouser leg the divergentend portions are compressed together and into overlapping conditions bysuitable manipulation, and said end portions are then inserted into theopen end of the trouser leg as shown in FIG. 4. With the trouser creaserstarted into the trouser leg it is a simple matter to apply longitudinalpressure to the outer and opposite end portion thereof thereby slidingthe unit into place or posit-ion within the trouser leg as shown in FIG.5. With the trouser creaser in place, as described and shown, theresilient construction thereof yieldingly urges the outer side membersaway from each other and in a manner to expand within the trouser leg.It is a simple matter to locate or position the opposite side members 10at the position of the crease to be formed thereby or to there-established thereby, as the case may be.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a verysimple and practical trouser creaser that is especially useful forinsertion into freshly laundered trousers or slacks and that can bereadily inserted into working position with the slide S thereof exposed.As shown, the slide S includes a hook 25 adapted to be used {for hangingpurposes. Further it will be apparent that it is a simple matter towithdraw the unit of construction from the trouser leg, whereupon it canbe collapsed for storage in a relatively small space.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variationsor modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A collapsible unit for creasing a trouser leg and including, a pairof like and relatively movable rectangularshaped sections of spring wirehaving spaced substantially parallel inner and outer side members, theinner side members of the sections being pivotally joined intermediatethe ends of the sections for movement from a collapsed condition withthe one section overlying the other to a utility condition with the twosections divergently related.

2. A collapsible unit for creasing a trouser leg and including, a pairof like and relatively movable rectangularshaped sections of spring wirehaving spaced substantially parallel outer side members to engage thetrouser leg, the inner side members :of the sections being pivotallyjoined intermediate the ends of the sections for movement from acollapsed condition with one section overlying the other to a utilitycondition with the two sections divergently related, there being a slideencompassing the two rectangular spring sections and operable to one endportion thereof to limit separation of the sections whereby theoppoosite end portion can be sprung inwardly into overlapped engagementfor exerting outward pressure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,172,999 Kappes Feb. 22, 1916 1,362,839 Bretscher Dec. 21, 19201,629,659 Frey May 24, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS 238,495 Germany Sept. 25,1911 70,736 Switzerland Feb. 28, 1915 955,026 France Jan. 4, 1950

1. A COLLAPSIBLE UNIT FOR CREASING A TROUSER LEG AND INCLUDING, A PAIROF LIKE AND RELATIVELY MOVABLE RECTANGULARSHAPED SECTIONS OF SPRING WIREHAVING SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL INNER AND OUTER SIDE MEMBERS, THEINNER SIDE MEMBERS OF THE SECTIONS BEING PIVOTALLY JOINED INTERMEDIATETHE ENDS OF THE SECTIONS FOR MOVEMENT FROM A COLLAPSED CONDITION WITHTHE ONE SECTION OVERLYING THE OTHER TO A UTILITY CONDITION WITH THE TWOSECTIONS DIVERGENTLY RELATED.